The Bride and the Groom - A Week of Fasting, Day 6

John 14:2-3

2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Jesus in his ministry used many teachings and parables that 1^st century Jews would have been familiar with. One of the 1^st century customs dealt with when a young groom was to take a bride. The groom and his father would go to the prospective bride’s family to work out the “bride price” or payment for the bride.

When terms were agreed upon the groom and his father would return to their home and the son would begin to prepare a place for his bride; a place to take her after he went back for her for their wedding. Now unlike today when a man and women marry and they go off to their own home, the custom then was that they would add rooms on to the Fathers house or “Insula”.  In John 14 we see Jesus referring to His Father’s house as having many rooms, of it being a place that He will take us to, Jesus the groom and the church His bride.

Now an interesting fact of the groom returning for the bride was that the groom didn’t know when that would be, his father would decide that the place was ready or when it was time to go back for the bride. Matthew 24:36 says “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father…”

We will one day be united with Jesus at His glorious return for His church but we have no idea when that is which is why it so vitally important that we are ready for that day.

  

Another parable that Jesus used relating to the bride and groom is found in Matthew 25:1-13

1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Five of them were foolish and five were wise, the bride had to be prepared.  People could relate to the picture of groom returning; we as a church have to be prepared for Jesus’ glorious return for us the church His bride.

We can all agree that Jesus has paid the ultimate price for His bride the church. Believers in Christ will one day be united with Jesus in paradise for eternity. 

When that is no one knows, but Jesus told them in the first century that they needed to be ready for that time. You and I need to be ready for that time.

As believers our hope is in the fact that He will return and we will be united with the creator of the universe and that is the comfort that we as believers have and nothing can separate us from that.  Amen and amen. 

Ernest Ariola

September 2013